Sudden need to pee? Then try mindfulness

It may not all be in the head—but ‘latchkey incontinence’, a sudden and uncontrollable desire to urinate when you see running water or open your front door, could be controlled by the mind.

Mindfulness meditation could reduce these embarrassing incidents, say researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, who tested mindfulness against non-invasive brain activation on 61 women who regularly suffered triggered bladder leaks.  They either listened to a 20-minute mindfulness meditation, or had tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), or both, while looking at triggering images, such as a public toilet or a running tap.

After completing four in-office sessions over five to six days, participants in all three groups experienced reduced urgency when they viewed trigger cues. Women in all the groups also reported an improvement in the number of urgency episodes and leaks after completing the sessions.

Latchkey incontinence, or situational urgency urinary incontinence, is bladder leakage triggered by specific environments or scenarios. Common cues include the front door  of the person’s house, running water, getting into a car or walking past public bathrooms.

According to lead author Cynthia Conklin, latchkey incontinence is a type of Pavlovian conditioning. Like Pavlov’s dogs, which salivated upon hearing a bell that they associated with food, years of going to the bathroom immediately on entering the house can condition a person to feel strong bladder urgency when seeing the front door.

But it’s an instinct that can be curbed with mindfulness techniques.

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